Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-16

considerable inward Qemurflng-
Are all young men SO very bad
aunt?" she once yentured to ask.
ITO be sure they are, child, snapped
out Miss Pringle. lit is impossible
for me to give you any idea of their
deceit and wickedness"
Ruth sighed and betook herself to
her chamber, her heart full of the
mental exception to her aunt's sweep
ing assertion.
AS Cousin Jonas was thought to be,
to use her own words. ..only half a
man, at the worst" and having disa-
vowed, both practically and orally,
any inclination towards the chief folly
and weakness of his sex, Miss Pringle
occasionally condescended to hold con
verse with him through the door, Or
window, or pickets of the fence which
surrounded her garden.
One day Jonas saw Ruth and her
aunt at work in the garden, and stop
ped to say word to the latter
Ruth was at the other end of the
garden, tying up a rosebush, that was
dropping to the earth with the weight
of its fragrant burden.
miss Ruth is growing up very
pretty" groaned the old hypocrite,
with doleful shake of the head.
Miss Pringle glanced at Ruth in dis
may. True; so she was. The blush
roses were not half so fair and sweet
as the bright young face that was
bending over them.
''And there's more than one of the
same opinion, I'm thinking" added
Jonas, slyly, pointing to the spot
where Edgar Haven had been stand
ing, for some minutes, gazing at the
pretty picture before him, with all bis
soul in his eyes.
"Good-morning, Miss Pringle," said
Edgar, as soon as he saw he was OBJ
served. Il was going to ask you for
one of your blush-roses."
Its another kind of a rose he's
after" muttered Jonas with a sardonic
grin.
The pleasant bow and smile that
accompanied Edgar's words would
have found their way to almost any
other heart, but they only added fuel
to the irate spinster's fury and indig
nation.
go into the house this instant,
Ruth, she shrieked. Gas for you,
young man." she added, turning to
Edgar, and making fierce lunge at
him with her cane, elf you're not off
instanter, Tll-Ill send for a police
man"
With a glance of compassion at the
retreating girl, and ditto of defiance
at Jonas, who seemed to be enjoying
his discontinue hugely, Edgar walked
off.
After this Ruth was never allowed
to stir abroad without her aunt or
Polly, the old domestic, at her heels.
Poor Ruth! these were sorrowful
days for her. Sometimes she caught
glimpse of Edgar in the distance, but
never dared to look twice at him.
But one day Polly and her mistress
went out taking the precaution, how
ever, to lock the doors after them.
And as Ruth sat, with her sewing
lying idly upon her knee, and her
heart far away, the object of her
thoughts suddenly made his appear
ance through the open window.
Ruth was in perfect tremor of de-
light and alarm.
eff my aunt should return and find
you here!" she cried, as she blushiuely
released herself from his arms.
Il don't care if she does" said Ed
drawing Ruth down beside him. THE
old ogress! What does she say about
me, Ruth? What terrible crime does
she charge me with?'
''She says that you are "a mani"
faltered Ruth, as she hid her eyes on
her lovers shoulder.
''And so [ am, returned the young
man, laughing. 'sAnd l never so re-
ioiced in that self-same fact until
knew you, darling. [ could not love
you half so well if | were a womanw
Ruth hardly knew what to say in
reply to this logic, but she knew that
she was very happy seated by his side,
with his arm round her, and wished
that it was not so fleeting.
In this way, Edgar continued to
have several interviews with Ruth, I'M
known to anyone except Jonas Quinn
by, who slyly watched the pair, chuck
ling over the certainty that it gave
him of inheriting his cousins long
coveted estate.
Inc lovers 1alu many plans 10 BRING
about the realization of their mutual
wishes, but none of them seemed feast
BILE. And finally death saved them
any further trouble by suddenly fore
closing the long mortgage he had held
upon Ruth's grim old guardian.
Miss Pringle left will, in which she
bequeathed her whole estate, both real
and personal, to her niece Ruth. But
to this was added the following singu-
lar codicil
Whereas it has long been my set
tied conviction that every man, born
on the face of the earth, is cruel, de-
ceitful and treacherous, iii case my
niece, Ruth PringIe, marries any such,
the property devised to her in the
above will shall 90 to my cousin, Jonas
Quimby, to him and to his heirs, and
for ever.
But despite this, Edgar and Ruth
were quietly married few weeks
after, to Jonas Quimby's great salts
faction, who immediately made a
formal demand for the estate.
II don't see what ri0ht Won have to